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SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLERThe Valrico branch is the first of its kind in Florida, made to feel more like a tech-savvy neighborhood store.
VALRICO - The clues are everywhere that the new Bank of America on Lithia-Pinecrest Road is supposed to be a departure from impersonal ATMs, sterile lobbies and stonefaced tellers.
When customers enter the recently opened branch in the Lithia Crossing plaza, they see a comfy seating area, a large television and a wall filled with financial magazines and children's books.
The $2.5-million branch has an exterior that looks more like a retail store than a bank. Inside, the front corner is set aside as a children's play area.
Customers press their palms against an electronic scanner for biometric access to their safe deposit boxes, and a self-serve kiosk allows them to look up their latest transactions. If they need help, a phone connects to the Charlotte, N.C., bank's customer service department.
The branch is the first of its kind in Florida and one of 18 planned for the Tampa Bay area, part of Bank of America's plans to make its branches feel more like tech-savvy neighborhood stores.
Between now and 2005, the nation's largest consumer bank will dot the United States with 550 branches like the one in Valrico - a $1.5-billion investment targeted to fast-growing cities like Las Vegas, Dallas, Miami and Chicago.
In the bay area, Bank of America's $53-million investment will include branches already planned in Wesley Chapel, Lutz and New Port Richey.